Chapter 10 - The Light in the Library
One year later.
The afternoon sun filtered through the tall, leaded glass windows of the Columbia University library, casting long, dusty beams of gold across the rows of old books. The room smelled of paper, leather, and the quiet, peaceful scent of a rainy autumn afternoon.
I was sitting at my usual desk near the back, cataloging a new shipment of rare texts, when I heard the soft, familiar patter of running sneakers on the carpet.
"Clara! Look what I found!"
Leo, now six years old and looking healthy, sun-bronzed, and incredibly bright, ran between the shelves, holding a brand-new copy of The Little Prince with a bright gold cover.
"Leo, no running in the library," a deep, warm voice called out from behind the shelves.
David stepped into the light.
He was wearing a casual grey cashmere sweater instead of his immaculate three-piece suits, his dark hair slightly messy from the autumn wind outside. The cold, dangerous mask of the Bratva boss was entirely gone, replaced by the relaxed, serene expression of a man who had finally found his peace.
The Romanov shipping routes had been legally sold to an international maritime conglomerate, the proceeds fully donated to a global children’s charity fund. The Bratva was a shadow of his past, dismantled systematically with the help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, leaving David with a clean record, a legitimate investment firm, and a life free of steel shutters.
"Did you find the book you wanted, Leo?" I smiled, closing my cataloging ledger and pulling the little boy into my lap.
"Yes!" Leo beamed, showing me the pages. "Daddy said we can read it tonight. Together. All three of us."
David walked over, leaning against the edge of my desk, his dark eyes looking down at me with a warmth that made my heart skip a beat, even after a year of being by his side.
"The car is ready, Clara," David said softly, his hand gently resting on my shoulder. His thumb traced a soft circle against my collarbone, a familiar, protective gesture that always made me feel completely safe. "And Elena has dinner waiting at the new house."
The new house was in Coyoacán—a beautiful, bright villa with a massive garden, old trees, and no stone lions outside.
"I just have thirty seconds left of my shift," I smiled, looking up at him.
"We can wait," David said, his voice dropping into that quiet, beautiful register that belonged only to us. He leaned down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to my temple, his breath warm against my skin. "We have all the time in the world."
May you like
As Leo flipped through the pages of his book, humming a happy, quiet tune, I closed the library ledger for the last time.
The cold, heavy silence of Oakwood Drive was gone, replaced by a life filled with light, laughter, and a love that had finally, beautifully found its way home.
